Fuji X10 Firmware Ver. 2.0 – Partial Color Filter

Fuji X10 is a very good compact camera. It takes very good pictures which can have good dynamic range or high ISO (for its sensor size that is). Fuji released a version 2.0 of its firmware. The major changes include an inclusion of a quick menu and additional filters. The filters include a toy filter, dynamic range filter, selective (partial) color, miniature and high key.

Of the filters, the selective color filter excited my the most. The selective color filter works by choosing any of the primary and secondary colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple) and suppressing all other colors.

Here are some pictures I took for a few days using the filter.

The filters are located in the Advance mode (Adv.). In terms of implementation, I like the one on Nikon D5100 better where there is a small square (in live preview) and put that square on the color you want to remain while all others are suppressed.

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In bright light and particularly with saturated colors, the filter works great. However, when the light is not very good and the color is not particularly saturated or bright, the filter doesn’t work very well and results in some parts that remain grey where it should be colored (as below).

The ketchup sachet should be fully red (with only the white Heinz and the McDonalds logo in grey). In the second example, the base of the stand should be fully orange instead of having grey areas in the middle. The leg of the runner should also not be orange.

It adds an element of fun to an otherwise serious camera and you don’t have to use it at all but it’s great that it’s there. The addition of the quick menu is the best part of the firmware upgrade and certainly extends the life and usability of an already great compact camera.